NEW LIGHT-WEIGHT MATERIALS FOR VEHICLE BODY PANELS--ALUMINUM/NYLON LAMINATES

Aluminum/nylon laminates for lightweight, stiffness-limited auto body panels are discussed in terms of development objectives, physical properties (strength and damage resistance, dimensional stability, and formability), durability and repair, assembly, offal and scrap reuse/recovery, and cost and value. Laboratory work to date indicates that .127 mm. aluminum foil skins and 1.27 mm. thick nylon 6,6 cores yield an optimum balance of properties when light weight is a primary goal. Load-bearing and damage-resistance properties equivalent to those of commercial .81 mm. thick steel hood panels can be achieved with these laminates at one-third the weight per sq. ft. of the steel. The aluminum/nylon laminates are formable on existing metal stamping equipment at rates traditionally achieved with mild steel. Further development work is required to address the issues of assembly and scrap recycling. It is noted that these laminates cannot be welded; bolting, riveting, and/or structural adhesives are required. The results indicate that the laminates offer a cost-effective approach to weight reduction.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/01487191
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Presented at SAE Congress and Exposition, Detroit, 25-29 February 1980.
• Corporate Authors:

  Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

  400 Commonwealth Drive
  Warrendale, PA  United States  15096
• Authors:
  • McKenna, L W
  • Wohl, M H
  • Woodbrey, J C
• Publication Date: 1980

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 14 p.
• Serial:
  • SAE Technical Paper
  • Publisher: Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
  • ISSN: 0148-7191
  • EISSN: 2688-3627
  • Serial URL: http://papers.sae.org/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aluminum; Cost effectiveness; Laminates; Lightweight materials; Motor vehicle bodies; Nylon; Panels; Physical properties
• Old TRIS Terms: Automobile bodies
• Subject Areas: Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00389104
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
• Report/Paper Numbers: SAE 800079, HS-029 591
• Files: HSL, USDOT
• Created Date: Sep 28 1984 12:00AM